1776 & Dell Announce Global Startup Federation

Palo Alto – 1776 and Dell Inc., in partnership with Microsoft and Capital Factory, today at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit announced a groundbreaking international startup platform called Union to enable the next billion entrepreneurs by supporting and connecting them and removing barriers to innovation regardless of location.

Accessible through the Startup Federation — a worldwide network with already more than 30 startup campuses and mega-hubs — or virtually in remote areas, Union will provide entrepreneurs anywhere in the world the ability to reach the people, resources and education they need to take their ideas from seed to scale. Designed by 1776’s team of engineers and aided by insights from incubators, accelerators, hubs and experts around the world, the platform enables entrepreneurs to:

“Smart entrepreneurs with highly promising ideas exist everywhere on the planet, and it’s time to stop letting location limit young companies’ ability to grow,” said Donna Harris, Cofounder & Co-CEO of 1776. “With technology connecting a network of local startup hubs, together we can empower entrepreneurs everywhere to share classes, content, mentors and other critical resources needed to succeed.”

Through Union entrepreneurship hubs around the world can share the tools and programming playbooks needed to operate a world-class startup center. Capital Factory, the center of gravity for startups in Austin, was first to join and will play a key role in this effort.

“Many cities lack a robust networks of local mentors and investors to help startup companies grow,” said Joshua Baer, Executive Director of Capital Factory in Austin. “With the Startup Federation and Union, every city can give their startups access to the best help and programming from around the world. We’re thrilled to be the first to join.”

“Entrepreneurs power our global economy, creating 70 percent of all new jobs in the world, and up to 90 percent in some emerging markets,” said Karen Quintos, senior vice president and chief marketing officer for Dell. “Dell and 1776 are partnering to enable entrepreneurs by creating avenues for entrepreneurs, wherever they are in the world, to access the experts, channels, customers and investors they need to take their ideas to scale and drive job creation in their communities.”

“Microsoft is committed to equipping innovative startups with the tools, mentorship and customer access that they need to grow. Through our partnership with 1776 and Union, we’ll be able to reach and support more startups, even faster,” said Larry Orecklin, VP Developer Experience and Chief Evangelist at Microsoft. “We are excited to partner with Union to help entrepreneurs take their ideas to the next level.”

As part of its commitment to cultivating entrepreneurship, Dell revealed findings of its 2016 Women Entrepreneurs Cities Index showing the top 25 global cities for fostering women entrepreneurs and is investing in Union to give those in cities not ranked the resources they need to grow.

To learn more about 1776, Union and the Startup Federation, or to indicate your community’s interest in joining this movement visit 1776.vc/union.

About 1776

1776 is a public benefit corporation that scouts and funds high-growth startups around the world focused on solving society’s most fundamental challenges in sectors like education, energy, transportation and financial services. Launched by co-CEOs Donna Harris and Evan Burfield and headquartered in Washington, D.C., with additional campuses in Dubai, New York City and San Francisco, 1776 serves hundreds of startups and institutions worldwide through its innovation curriculum, mentorship, investment and programming. It hosts more than 500 international events per year that attract heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, influential investors and global press. For more information, please visitwww.1776.vc and follow @1776 on Twitter and @1776vc on Instagram.

About Dell

Dell Inc. listens to customers and delivers innovative technology and services that give them the power to do more. For more information, visit www.dell.com.

About Microsoft

Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT” @microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.

About Capital Factory

Capital Factory is the center of gravity for entrepreneurs in Austin. This year more than 50,000 entrepreneurs, programmers and designers will gather day and night for meetups, classes and coworking. Capital Factory attracts the best entrepreneurs in Austin and introduces them to their first investors, employees and customers. Visit CapitalFactory.com or follow on Twitter @CapitalFactory.

1776 is the largest network of incubators that cultivates and empowers startup ecosystems in the Northeast Corridor. We exist to strengthen the cities and economies by building a thriving community of entrepreneurs.